Feb 18: Of tardiness, apologies, worry, despair and hope

Leviticus 6:1-7:27
Mark 3:7-30
Psalm 37:1-11
Proverbs 10:3-4

Someone once suggested to me that the pain of a hangover was the best reason to stay drunk. There was, admittedly, a point in my life when this seemed like a good idea, not the disastrous vicious cycle that it really is. Despair and worry are the same way - when we despair, sometimes it seems like a good idea to worry...the problem is the worry only leads us to further despair.

Why bring that up? Because I think most (if not all) of us live to seek happiness, which is often either equated with, or premised on, security. Does anyone else still remember the obliviousness of youth, when we were carefree, thought ourselves indestructible, and believed we had no limits? Then life and limitation gradually, insidiously set in, and the next thing you know you're fifty, you don't look a day over sixty, but wonder if this is how seventy-year-olds feel. And that body of knowledge you spent amassing all your life, in hopes of securing not just your future, but your family's as well? It seems the more that body of knowledge grows, the realization of what you DON'T know grows even more quickly, so much so you understand today you know FAR LESS about anything than you thought you did. And then you come to realize that the acquisition of knowledge in the pursuit of security is impossible. So you worry, and the worry leads to despair, and so on and so forth.

When we read the OT reading today, and begin to realize the impossibility of adherence to all God's laws (and avoiding the severe consequences of disobedience) facing the Israelites, it is probably safe to assume they experienced worry and despair. What is the solution? Where is the answer? Today's Psalm provides us the guidance we need: "Trust in the Lord and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the Lord, and He will give you the desires of your heart."

This is a day late (for which I apologize!), but yesterday my pastor reminded me of this - that our salvation is NOT in our hands, they are in HIS. And it is in HIM we have our hope. And when we realize that, there is NO cycle of worry and despair. Thank God.Feb 18: Of tardiness, apologies, worry, despair and hope